I’m Fixing to Tell Y’all About Y’all

I’m fixing to tell y’all about y’all.

No, I don’t mean about yourselves, but rather about the word “y’all” itself.

Always remember that “y’all” is singular, “all y’all” is plural, and “all y’all’s” is plural possessive.

I’ll attempt to explain the above. While “y’all” is actually a contraction for “you all,” it is most commonly used in place of the plural form of “you.” “All y’all” or “all of y’all,” on the other hand is generally used in place of ‘You all.”

Y’all got that? Well, if not I’ll provide some examples. When speaking to two or three people you would say, “Are y’all going to the races?” When speaking to several people you would say, “Are all y’all going to the races?”

Things get a little more complicated when using the possessive form of the word. For example you might ask, “Is this y’all’s boat,” or “Is this all y’all’s boat?”

There is some debate on the spelling of the possessive form of y’all. Some folks will spell it “y’all’s” while others will spell it “y’alls.” I am of the opinion there is no real answer to this question, and it’s just a matter of preference.

Putting the grammar rules of using the word “y’all,” aside, I don’t think anyone would deny that the word is most certainly Southern in nature and in use, and most definitely sounds and feels more literary and compelling than using the words, “youse,” “you-uns,” or “youse guys.”

The origin of the word is debatable, however it is commonly accepted the word was invented in the late 18th century by Scottish and Irish immigrants who settled in the South. It is well established that these immigrants frequently used the term “ye aw,” which could have evolved into “you all.”

In modern times the word is frequently overused by some to emphasize Southernness. An example of this is Paula Deen, who makes more money than “all yall” and “all of y’all” combined, who besides using too much butter, also uses too many “y’all’s.”

There is even a magazine named “Y’all,” or there was. The first issue of Y’all hit the newsstands in November 2003, and was named as one of the top 30 launches of 2003 out of 950 new magazines. It was based out of Jackson, Mississippi, was published bimonthly with an original circulation of 100,000 copies. It featured Southern celebrities, events and ordinary people with extraordinary stories.

Well, y’all, I’m sad to say there ain’t no more Y’all. At least I can’t find if it still exists.

If y’all happen to be fixing to read this I hope y’all will tell all y’alls friends about it, otherwise, it won’t be nothing but all y’all’s.